Customs Broker Continuing Education Rulemaking Notice Scheduled for Publication Next Week

An advance notice of proposed rulemaking on customs broker continuing education requirements (see 2009140033) is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Oct. 28, said John Leonard, CBP executive director-trade policy and programs, during the virtual Western Cargo Conference on Oct. 23. The advance notice will be available for preview on the public inspection site on Oct. 27, he said. “It's a great ANPRM, if I do say so myself.”

Other future regulatory efforts will include discussion of the Global Business Identifier, which is being considered as a replacement for Manufacturer ID number, Leonard said. The GBI will first be launched as an evaluative proof of concept to test with volunteers the three entity identifiers CBP is looking at. That information consists of a legal entity identifier, the global location number and the DUNS number, he said. “We expect a Federal Register notice to go out in mid-2021,” he said.

Leonard mentioned the ongoing litigation over lists 3 and 4A of the Section 301 tariffs that now involves more than 3,500 filers and “millions of entries.” The agency will “certainly do whatever the outcome requires us to do,” but, he said, a decision in the case “probably won't be anytime soon.” Leonard said the protests related to the litigation are coming in “fast and furious.” CBP is still “getting our arms around a policy on how best to process those,” he said.

CBP is also planning a webinar for Dec. 9 focused on the protest process for entries involving products excluded from the Section 301 tariffs, Leonard said.